Satellit 650 - 1986-1991

This particular radio
was obtained via Ebay in March 2003 from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and
at less than £100, it was a bargain! It needed some work, but nothing
serious, the telescopic antenna was missing, but the one fitted to the
Satellit 800 is identical, and available from Lextronix
for $25 plus shipping, so that was easily fixed. The bulbs had all blown
except for the tuning meter bulb, but I replaced it too while doing the
others, as the old one looked tired anyway. Some switch cleaner on the
tweeter switch and the volume control improved matters there, as the tweeter
switch was intermittent, and the volume was very "scratchy", it is now
nearly perfect. A crack in the upper left corner of the front half of the
case was repaired with epoxy resin, and the tuning meter adjusted so strong
stations went past half-way on the scale!

2 versions of this
set were made: The international version featured here, with SW coverage
of 1600-30000 kHz, and the professional version with reduced coverage to
meet the then-current German regulations, SW on that model being 1600-26100.

The predecessor to
this set, the 600, was all but identical, and was introduced in 1983. Changes
from that model were minor, so if you have a 600, you're not missing out
on much, bar the coverage, as all 600's were Professionals, with the restricted
SW coverage.

The Satellit 400,
also introduced in 1986, bore a resemblance to the 300, just as the 650
did to the 600, but while the 650 didn't have much new except the colour
scheme, the 400 was a big change from the 300. The 400 did have the new
colour scheme however, and matched the 650 in it's appearance. See below:

Later 650's reverted
to black, (as used on the 600), when the 500 appeared in black. So the
colour dates this particular radio as a 1986/87 model, and the serial number
suggests that it is a late 1986 radio.

It's a matter of
personal preference of course, but I think I prefer this colour, called
Gemini-Grey. The fact that grundig reverted to black on later models suggests
I'm in the minority.

Specification:

Styling:

Given the size of the
radio, it would be easy to overdo the styling, but I think they've managed
to get on the right side of tasteful. There are elements of the 3400 in
there, the knobs, where they are (a row along the bottom) and the front
handles being obvious points. Thankfully, (from my point of view, others
disagree) the military look hasn't carried over, and the final impression
is big but tasteful.Incidentally, the front
handles aren't just there for show (they're of little practical use as
handles!), as they allow you to lie the radio on it's face for battery
changing and dismantling, without the front switchgear being put at risk.